ExecutiveMom's Safety and Self Defense Blog

Oprah's world - risky advice?

Just to follow up in more detail on a Twitter I posted yesterday - another health issue to think about:

On June 1st, the latest issue of NEWSWEEK hit the stands, featuring Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert's smart, gutsy cover story on what one might call the Oprah Winfrey Medical Misinformation Complex.  Shorter version (though you should read the whole thing): Oprah, who has tremendous influence and credibility, promotes health "cures" that may be at best ineffective and at worst dangerous. Both media and medical bloggers took note of the story, and have been discussing its merits online. 

For example: The article really struck a nerve with Dr. Dave Gorski, ( David Gorski is a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer and an associate professor of surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine based at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. ) a blogger at Science-Based Medicine  (bookmark it: the site is a great source of thorough, critical reviews of both the latest research and medical fads).

Her intentions may be the best in the world, but that is only why she is the living embodiment of the cliché that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That's especially true when that same road is also paved with no mental filter of critical thinking to keep out nonsense. With great power comes great responsibility, indeed.

Unfortunately, given the infiltration of quackery into academic medicine, I'm having a hard time determining if Oprah is a symptom or one of the causes of the rise of pseudoscience and quackery over science-based medicine.

    Oprah has about as close to no critical thinking skills when it comes to science and medicine as I’ve ever seen, and she uses the vast power and influence her TV show and media empire give her in order to subject the world to her special brand of mystical New Age thinking and belief in various forms of what can only be characterized as dubious medical therapies at best and quackery at worst.

    No one, and I mean no one, brings pseudoscience, quackery, and antivaccine madness to more people than Oprah Winfrey does every week...Consequently, whether fair or unfair, she represents the perfect face to put on the problem that we supporters of science-based medicine face when trying to get the message out to the average reader about unscientific medical practices, and that’s why I am referring to the pervasiveness of pseudoscience infiltrating medicine as the “Oprah-fication” of medicine.

It's up to the people who watch Oprah's show to believe or not.  Different people have different views and it's up to them to take it seriously.  Unfortunately, there are many who listen to Oprah and Dr Oz and want a “quick fix” or an easy way of doing things.  Without knowing you, your medical history, your family history, your allergies, etc. it is hard for a TV moguel to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do for your health and which medications, vaccinations, or over the counter medications to try.  They can’t tell you if the herbal remedy can interact with a medication you are already on or if taking it might mask a more serious problem that your physician may need to evaluate.  We all have the responsibility to make our own decisions.

When watching these shows, ie. Oprah & Dr Phil’s son’s new show, you need to take what you learn “with a grain of salt” and discuss it with your physician as an option or alternative for you but don’t let their opinions become yours.  Just like the Pharmaceutical industry who influences us through direct to consumer advertising for their own purposes, so Oprah is doing a “job”.  She is a very smart business woman but not a scientist and definitely not a licensed physician with all the answers for all who watch her show.  She is on the air for “entertainment purposes only”.  As viewers, we need to remember that and realize that what she says sometimes can actually be more harmful than good.

Again, we need to be responsible, educated, skeptical consumers of our own individualized healthcare.  (not all medications, vaccines, advice are bad – we just need to do what is best for us and our body) - JMO what is yours?

Twitter traffic not being driven by the Usual suspects

While Myspace and Facebook are overflowing with Teens and Tweens, who is most likely to Twitter? 

As I’ve really gotten into it, I’ve wondered, is this another place that I will run into a pack of my daughter’s high school friends?  I have actually found it to be more interesting, more thought provoking and more informational than the plain MySpace which seems to have added many spam artists and Facebook which many of my friends have recently joined but is also over run by young individuals who are leaving personal tracks of information, photo and outrageous videos for future generations to enjoy.

So who is Twittering?

Today, I found a very interesting article at Comscore.com :

Reuters reporter Alexei Oreskovic recently authored an interesting blog post about the demographics of Twitter users. What he discovered was that 18-24 year olds, the traditional social media early adopters, are actually 12 percent less likely than average to visit Twitter (Index of 88). It is the 25-54 year old crowd that is actually driving this trend. More specifically, 45-54 year olds are 36 percent more likely than average to visit Twitter, making them the highest indexing age group, followed by 25-34 year olds, who are 30 percent more likely.

Wow, with the majority of Twitters approximate 10 million users being 35 years of age or older, I am starting to finally feel a “little hip” when it comes to technology and Social Networking. Finally! :)  Yeah me! Now my kids can’t say I’m “behind the times”....

Now are you Twittering? I’d love to have you follow me (and vice-versa) if you are!  What are your opinions of the craze? Do you get anything out of it or is it just crazy?

Enjoy the new “grown up” technology – I am.  Have a wonderful Hump Day and see you on the WWW....

49 Ways to Know You Are Too Popular On Twitter...

Well - I thought I'd end my week on one last Twitter note that I found funny but know that I'm getting addicted to one more Social Media will have to paste and post of the Fridge just to remind me not to get too addicted..(I still think the pharma companies are going to have a lot of fun making up a disease name for this one and selling you Prozac for it :)

From @Twitter_Tips:

You know you are too popular on Twitter when...

1. People don’t invite you out—they go without you and livetweet you about it.
2. Because you instantly tweet about everything you do, you no longer see the point of confessing in church.
3. You know where the Twitter Twanonymous 12-step meetings are held (“Hi, my name is @, and I'm a Twittaddict…”).
4. You gossip like a complete Twit: “What a failwhale! Her mistweeted tweetahead retweet got her uninvited from the tweetup and the twitcast. With tweetard twittiquette like that she'll never be in the twitterati twibe.”
   
5. You never do anything without first considering how Twitterrific it will sound on Twitter.
6. You lie about how much you Twitter to keep your friends and loved ones from trying to organize a Twittervention against you. You are always jumpy when you go out, afraid they will throw a net over you and pry your blackberry away.
   
7. Everyone knows that while you’re technically still married, your spouse is actually a “Twittdow” (Twitter widow).
8. Whenever you get long-winded, your spouse tells you to “Shut up if you can't talk like we do on Twitter.”
9. Watching court TV you thought the bailiff said “Please be tweeted,” instead of “Please be seated.”
10. In your dreams, everyone has @ symbols where faces should be.
11. You have two homepages: twitter.com, and status.twitter.com …not necessarily in that order.
12. You're Scobelizing your time, resources and life away.
    
13. Big events nearly give you a heart attack every time—from simultaneously trying to listen to it on TV, tweet, and see what everyone else is tweeting about it
    
14. You start to think in 140-character thoughts using abbreviations with too many exclamation points and question marks: “Y can't these ppl learn to p/u their own damn dirty socks. It’s thx 4 nothing 4 all the work I do around here, imho. Y do I p/u with this??!!”
15. Two-hundred thirty-seven people already sent you this blog post this morning.
16. If it weren't for Twitter, you would have no contact with other living beings 167½ out of 168 hours each week. (It would be never, if grocery delivery to your door was available in your area.)
17. People DM you before calling so that they know you will answer.
    
18. When you see thousands of people following the “Can you hear me now?” guy around in ads…you know just how he feels.
19. Your kids know they won't get your attention unless the notes they leave on the kitchen table say something like “@Mom, please bring home milk and DM me if I can go to @Jason’s house.”
20. You have your real name legally changed to your @twitterName.
    
21. Obama and Kevin Rose follow you…and DM you when they need advice.
    
22. You get the “Twitter Twitch”—you've twittered until two in the morning and now all you can do is lay in bed and twitch. 
23. You never leave the site except to go to Tweet-ups.
24. More people know you by your Twitter picture than by what you actually look like.
    
25. You don't bother to have your Twitter client automatically startup on boot because doesn't everyone sleep with Twitter on the laptop next to them in bed?
26. When Twitter goes down, you have to restrain yourself from trying to tweet about, and write in your blog until it comes back online.
27. You understand Twitler's every reference and know exactly how he feels. 
28. You are always accidentally trying your Twitter password to log onto things.
    
29. You need a job, but you can't find one with a Twitter-friendly environment so you remain unemployed…and Twittering about it.
30. You're more popular on twitter.grader.com than @grader itself.
31. Your @name starts appearing in other people's Twitter jokes. 
32. You decide to do a quick check of your tweets before your email - and it ends up being hours before you read your email.
    
33. You freak out when twitter goes down for a few hours and wonder if you will ever see your friends again!
34. You look for the UNFOLLOW button during boring TV shows.
35. You find yourself in an actual, honest-to-goodness face-to-face conversation…and catch yourself looking for the “reply” button. 
36. You start to think of everything in @’s as in “I wish @husband would take the garbage out…”
37. You would never need to wear a tracking device if you were convicted of something because your BrightKite tweets make you easier to track than Barack Obama.
38. You get wedding presents from Twitter friends you have never met in real life. 
39. You resolve to get off Twitter to get some work done but can't remember when you had that thought, and anyway @guykawasaki is just now saying that Alltop is cool because …
40. @guykawasaki DMs you but you miss it because you get too many DMs all at once.
41. When your realize you're having heart palpitations from being so hyped up trying to reply to your thousands of DMs and @'s.
42. You tweet wearing gloves when the heat goes out. 
43. Twitter's business model depends on your tweets. Either that, or they get money from Greenpeace for saving the Fail Whale.
44. It takes you three tries to read this post—because you have to check twitter in between.
45. You’ve long since forgotten what it was like to have friends in the real world in the days “BT” (before Twitter).
46. When you're off twitter, you make up new twords. You share the twords with your twouse who rolls their eyes at you and goes back to sleep.
    
47. Your dog has her own twitter account.   
48. Your name is @conniecrosby. 
49. When u go online to find that recipe, you get so many DMs you logon to twitter & forget to eat dinner, much less cook it.

#50 and more can be found HERE if you are interested..... Is this YOU??

Have a wonderful Weekend and BE SAFE - especially while Online - you really never know who is on the other side of that picture!!

The Tao of Twitter

For the last couple days since joining, I have been trying to figure out the Tao - or meaning, way, path - of Twitter.  I have really had a hard time condensing myself to 140 words but that is me.  I have also wondered Why? What is so interesting about little "blips" or "blurbs" from so many others.  And how will I keep up with all the incredibly interesting information. 

I guess for me the site can be used as a sort of teaser and filter of information in the areas that I enjoy but the concept of its popularity has still been mind-boggling to me. Then, this afternoon, I came across an old article:  2007 - Twitter through a Heart Surgeons Eyes   . 

Having spent most of my Pharmaceutical Career working in a Hospital Setting, I could relate to the doctor's coffee room.  I think this may have answered my "Why"....

I took a step back, and saw some startling similarities between Twitter and something in my offline world as a heart surgeon.

The Coffee Room!

Every hospital (and operating suite) has one. It’s where the team meets all too briefly in short breaks between a hectic schedule, to share snippets of conversation, touch base, keep connected.

A typical ‘fly on the wall’ experience may sound like this:

Dr.Martin looks up from the journal he’s skimming to say:

“Hmm… interesting. Wonder if it applies to kids too?”

Dr.Jones beside him glances at the title and says:

“Don’t think so. I read about it in the latest Annals last week.”

Across the room, nurse Jenny sips her coffee and looks at the door where nurse Anna waltzes in (she’s going off duty).

“There’s a sale on at Debenham’s. I got 3 pairs of these for 5 quid each.”

She points at her shoes. Jenny is interested.

“Wow. Cool. I’ll check it out.”

Sister Janet, browsing the newspaper in the corner of the lounge now speaks up.

“You’ll want this coupon then. It says 15% off on all shoes.”

Dr.Mark, the resident, dashes in and grabs a cup of coffee.

“Martin, we’re done in OR 2. When do you want to begin the next operation?”

Martin looks up.

“Right away. Can we go ahead?”

Dr.Spencer, the anaesthetist, speaks up:

“Give me 10 minutes. I’m waiting for an important call.”

A voice calls out from the doorway:

“What’s the score? Is Dhonee out yet?”

Eyes glance at the TV, and then Martin answers.

“Not yet. He’s going strong. Sure, Spencer, I’ll wait. Gives me time to finish this article.”

Another voice sounds from the door.

“Dr.Mark, you’re wanted in OR 3 right away”

Mark rushes out.

“Think this pink jacket would go well with the shoes?”

Jenny asks Anna, as they walk out of the room, pointing to the ad in the paper.

Now, look at just the conversation bits with my explanatory notes stripped away, and you’ll see how remarkably similar this looks to a typical Twitter screen.

Dr.Martin: “Hmm… interesting. Wonder if it applies to kids too?” Dr.Jones: “Don’t think so. I read about it in the latest Annals last week.” Anna: “There’s a sale on at Debenham’s. I got 3 pairs of these for 5 quid each.” Jenny: “Wow. Cool. I’ll check it out.” Janet: “You’ll want this coupon then. It says 15% off on all shoes.” Dr.Mark: “Martin, we’re done in OR 2. When do you want to begin the next operation?” Dr.Martin: “Right away. Can we go ahead?” Dr.Spencer: “Give me 10 minutes. I’m waiting for an important call.” Mr.X: “What’s the score? Is Dhonee out yet?” Dr.Martin: “Not yet. He’s going strong. Sure, Spencer, I’ll wait. Gives me time to finish this article.” Voice: “Dr.Mark, you’re wanted in OR 3 right away” Jenny: “Think this pink jacket would go well with the shoes?”

Senseless snippets? Or meaningful conversation? Sales pitch? Education? Networking? Information? News? Updates?

Or EVERYTHING.

That’s Twitter, in a nutshell.

Now back to enjoying my "Snippets" - You can join me @Executivemom133

See you there.

Maybe Twitter Will Make Me a Better Author?

As I'm trying to figure out this vast world of Social Networking and it's many nuances ...  I received a wonderful email this morning.  It explained that maybe Twitter does have a purpose after all.  I remember in my almost 20 years of Pharmaceutical Sales, we had two types of presentations.  The full blown sales presentation (like my novels) and the 30 second "Hall Stopper" (Twitter writing).  I was never very good at the 30 Second Detail and I'm not very good at writing short briefs - they just don't seem to explain all I want to say or I don't quite seem to get my point across the way I intend it to be when it's short.  Sooo, maybe this is truly a good way for me, at least, to finally learn that 30 second "Hall Stopper".

I guess the only point that is listed here that still bothers me is the use of the English Language, the hacking of it and the miss spellings. I realize this isn't grammar school but, especially for the kids, my teen and my nieces and nephews (also teens) who use texting and Facebook so much, it kills me to see so many misspelled words! Honestly, you don't need to even know how to spell any more (that's what Spell check is for - and I am an awful speller let me tell you....). It's just annoying to know that there are so many kids who just don't know the basics (spelling, math...we give them so many crutches these days - okay a rant for another day :)

Here's that article - what do you think?

How Twitter Makes You A Better Writer
By now you’ve most likely joined Twitter (and if you haven’t, you need to, pronto!). Twitter is not only a great place for businesses and marketers, but it’s also a great place to spruce up your writing skills.

Yes. You read that correct. Twitter can make you a better writer. Here’s how.

Twitter forces you to be concise

If you’ve ever used Twitter, you know that you have 140 characters to say whatever you want to say. Now keep in mind, I didn’t say 140 words—or even 140 letters—I said 140 characters.
That’s not a lot of room. Letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation and spaces all count as characters on Twitter.

What all of this means is, you have to be concise. You have to know exactly what you want to say, and say it in as few words as possible.

Many writers, however, are “wordy” and often have long, drawn out descriptions and sentences, so it can be pretty difficult to create a message that’s only 140 characters.

Here’s where Twitter comes in again.

Twitter forces you to exercise your vocabulary

Since you only have 140 characters to get your message across, you’re forced to dust off your dictionary and thesaurus and find new words to use—Words that are shorter, words that are more descriptive, and words that get the job done in 140 characters or less.

Crafting a message for Twitter requires you to “pump up” your verbs (replacing adverbs and adjectives with them), and discover a better, clearer and more concise way to say what you want to say.

Now most people won’t hit 140 characters right away. No, they’ll end up with 160 or 148 characters to start out with (Twitter tells you how many characters you need to remove to make your message fit).

This is the final way that Twitter makes you a better writer.

Twitter forces you to improve your editing skills

Every writer needs to be able to edit their work. And by using Twitter, you can really hone your editing skills and make them top-notch.

It’s almost like playing a game; trying to write a 140-character message and still get your point across in a way that inspires your followers to take action, to click on your link or to “retweet” your post.

I like to think of it as a brainteaser, forcing me to think hard and dig deep down into my vocabulary to find a way to shorten my message.

I’ve been using Twitter since January, and my writing skills have not only improved, but I’ve been writing better copy as well.

Yet another reason you should be using Twitter. Not that you needed one.

About the Author: Jennifer Blanchard is a creative and effective copywriter. Her blog, Procrastinating Writers, offers writing advice, motivation and inspiration for writers who procrastinate.

To Twitter or Not to Twitter That is the Question

Do you think anyone has ever died of Texting or being in too many Social Network settings? At the very least, how many new cases of Carpal Tunnel do you think they diagnose a year from all they typing? I'm sure I have a bladder infection because I don't want to miss anyting, leave the keyboard and go to the bathroom. Note to self: buy a smaller laptop for better portability.  I also know I've lost weight since I've joined all of these sites because I have forgotten to eat (not really a bad thing :) How many people are being treated from STRESS due to "over socializing"?  Do yout hink the Pharmaceutical Companies will develop a new disease state and drug for those who suffer from "Social Network Stress?"  Do you think the electric company will understand when I tell them I just ran out of hours in the day to get around to paying my bills on time this month?  And do you think Jennifer really broke up with John Maher becuase he was Twittering too much? Hhhmmm...

For years, my daughter has suffered from ADD and I truly have never understood her.  I being a Type-A, direct to the point, organized sales person who lives by lists and calendars. My daughter on the other hand starts one project, gets distracted, wonders off to something else and then hours later finds herself doing what she started at one point in time.  How does that happen?

Well, social networking has now made me like my daughter.  I joined Twitter today.  I have put it off for as long as I could.  I follow many people, The Publicity Hound, being one of them and months ago she wrote about Twitter and using the resources.  At that time I was still learning MySpace.  Well, it seems as I was working out my MySpace layouts and connections, everyone else had moved onto Facebook,  Okay, Facebook is up and running and now Twitter is the thing to do... How do people find time to work a real job that will pay the bills with all of this?  Oh forgot, today on the news they talked about a Representative who was in trouble for being caught "Twittering" while in session listening to the President speak..oops, now there is a way to tick the boss off :)

First of all, I'd like to know how is it that I am always 5 steps behind and HOW do people keep up with all of these networks? Honestly, it took me an entire day of not moving from my comfy rocking chair (except to let the puppy out to potty) to put together and try to comprehend Twitter.  The sad thing is, these sites are all fun and they are addicting.  After reading a million Tweets and meeting new people, I finally came back to what I started this morning...answering a friends email from 6 AM.  (it's now 12:45 AM to be exact).  How time flies when you are playing with technology (and how crossed eyed one can become is amazing as well - I'm sure I won't be seeing straight for a week). 

Soooo - how is it that people (who have a life) can keep up with all these various Social Networks and forms of connecting with very interesting people but basically perfect strangers all the same.  Will I ever see sunlight again? Or will life be made up of endless Facebook pokes and Twitter Tweets?

My question to all those who successfully utilize these various networks - how do you "control" the information?  How do you write successful short tweets that others would like to read? Is there a way to write one "blog" or "tweet" and send it to all of your networking sites with a click of the button?

I am not old but I still remember typewriters and dial phones from college... computers are just overwhelming this soul.. Any advice?